Arc 3 – Chapter 172, The Vicious Princess Wants to Reverse Fate (66)

Zhou Min looked into the eyes of Shangguan Qi, who was holding her. She was about to say something when her gaze darted behind him. Her eyes widened, and, despite her weakened state, she managed to swap places with Shangguan Qi.

Shangguan Qi only felt a flash of cold light before Zhou Min forcefully pushed him away. He stumbled, his hands catching himself on the ground. He looked at Zhou Min, not far away, his eyes filled with shock and anger.

A searing pain pierced through Zhou Min's chest as if a sword had been thrust into her heart. She turned her head, her eyes brimming with malice. With her left hand, she claimed the life of the person behind her, but in doing so, she weakened her legs, causing her to kneel on the ground, her face slightly lowered.

Fortunately, she didn't feel the pain. Otherwise, she would have been in agony from her numerous wounds. She always hated pain...

A phrase suddenly popped into Zhou Min's head, causing her to sway. She fell backwards, caught by Shangguan Qi, who had rushed over. She felt her life slipping away, her vision of Shangguan Qi blurring.

"Zhou Min, how are you?"

"It hurts!" Zhou Min heard Shangguan Qi's trembling voice. Although she wasn't in pain, she wanted to say it hurt. She wanted to act coquettishly towards Shangguan Qi because she knew well that she wouldn't be able to do so again. Not because her life was ending but because once they were out, it would be over between them.

Shangguan Qi looked at the bloodied woman in his arms, feeling wave after wave of heartache. His thoughts upon seeing her became increasingly muddled. His mind was blank, his hands holding her trembling involuntarily. He tried to check her pulse, but his trembling hands couldn't locate it.

Even when he did, his panicked mind was a mess, rendering him unable to process anything.

Zhou Min felt the man trying to check her pulse but failing due to his panic. She suddenly felt a pang of sadness and snuggled into his arms. "Shangguan... Shangguan Qi, I hate pain the most!"

Shangguan Qi was stunned. He didn't know why Zhou Min was telling him this, but his heart ached even more at her coquettish tone. He was at a loss, "Don't talk, don't talk!"

"Shangguan Qi, you must survive!"

"I told you, don't talk!" Shangguan Qi, who was always calm, had red eyes. He was filled with anger as he yelled at Zhou Min.

"You're always so mean to me... I can feel pain too..." Zhou Min's voice was becoming fainter. Shangguan Qi froze, then suddenly lifted his hand, gently wiping the blood off her pale face. But his trembling hands betrayed his inner turmoil.

For the first time, he felt fear. He was afraid for Zhou Min, who was lying pale and fragile in his arms. He hated seeing Zhou Min so lifeless in his arms. It made his heart ache and feel like it wasn't his own as if something was stabbing it painfully.

"Shangguan Qi, don't beg anyone. No one is allowed to beg. You should be a figure that people look up to. So, don't... don't speak in such a heartbreaking tone. I... I can't bear it..." Zhou Min couldn't feel the pain, but she was struggling to breathe, making it hard for her to speak.

"Don't talk... Good girl, don't talk... I'll save you... I'll definitely save you..." Shangguan Qi's hands shook violently as he held Zhou Min. His breath was filled with bitterness and panic.

The man in the mask watched as Zhou Min, who was already powerless, fell into Shangguan Qi's arms. He took large strides towards them, slowly approaching Shangguan Qi, kneeling among a pile of corpses, holding Zhou Min. "Zhou Min, I warned you. This is what happens when you don't listen!"

The assassins stopped fighting at the man in the mask's signal. They carefully surrounded Shangguan Qi and Zhou Min. Zhou Min didn't respond to the masked man's words. Meanwhile, Shangguan Qi held Zhou Min, his body trembling uncontrollably due to her blood and pallor. His heart was burning.

It was as if something was about to burst out, something he couldn't suppress. And that feeling gave Shangguan Qi a sense of danger.

Shangguan Qi held Zhou Min in his arms, his face buried in her neck. His breath was filled with the sweet, metallic scent of blood. The fragrance he loved was buried under the smell of blood. He could imagine how much blood Zhou Min had on her, and he didn't dare to think about how much of it was hers and how much was someone else's.

Shangguan Qi shielded her completely, like a mountain, enveloping her within his wings. All the man in the mask could see from his high vantage point was Shangguan Qi's back, not Zhou Min.

"It's time!" Zhou Min whispered into Shangguan Qi's ear when he held her, causing a surge of panic in Shangguan Qi.

Before Shangguan Qi could respond, Zhou Min suddenly pushed him with all her might, facing a powerful palm strike from the man in the mask. The moment their hands met, another group of men in black suddenly sprang from the forest, clashing with the assassins from the Ming Pavilion.

Shangguan Qi, who was pushed away, had red eyes and a horrified look. The powerful internal force, mixed with sharp wind, was felt even by Shangguan Qi, who was pushed to the side, let alone Zhou Min, who took the palm strike head-on.

As the powerful internal force sent the fiery red figure flying, Shangguan Qi suddenly felt a surge of strength. His lost internal force was suddenly found, and without thinking, he dashed after Zhou Min's flying figure.

As he tried to catch Zhou Min, the man in the mask noticed another group of people arriving. They were there to rescue Shangguan Qi and Zhou Min. What shocked him more was that the man who was supposed to have lost his internal force suddenly erupted with a powerful force, only to chase the blood-red figure.